EU faces record drug shortages due to production issues and logistics; countries implement varying national responses.
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Drug shortages reached record levels across the EU in 2023-2024, affecting critical medications such as antibiotics, insulin, and neurological drugs due to production issues, raw material scarcity, logistical problems, and market economics. While EU reforms aim to support domestic production and coordinate supplies for critical medicines, enforcement mechanisms are lacking. Poland faces reliance on Chinese pharmaceutical markets, while Lithuania struggles with small market appeal leading to shortages in cardiology and hormones. France has seen a surge in drug shortages, particularly affecting psychiatry, prompting recent government actions like mandatory stockpiling. Austria demonstrates a proactive approach by legally requiring pharmaceutical companies to report potential supply limitations early, which triggers protective measures like export bans, and is now building four-month national reserves for key components. Despite strong national systems, experts advocate for unified European solutions, including shared industrial strategies and coordinated reserves, to address underlying global production concentrations and pricing pressures.
